An early childhood education expert says young wildfire evacuees are likely to feel the impact on their sense of safety even after they return home.
University of British Columbia instructor Negar Khodarahmi says parents returning to the Summerland, B.C., area after thousands were forced to flee this month should resist the urge to avoid talking about what happened and instead answer children’s questions honestly while highlighting optimism about the future.
The Bald Range fire destroyed about 150 homes in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and in Summerland and triggered a 10-day evacuation that lifted for most residents of Summerland this week.
Khodarahmi says parents could see changes in their children’s behaviour, such as an increase in anxiety or younger children regressing to bedwetting and tantrums, as they process what they experienced.
She says it’s important to prepare children for what they might see in their community even if their own home wasn’t damaged.
Summerland deputy mayor Erin Trainer says she took her three young children around their community to see some of the damage as well as homes that were saved by fire crews.
“I wanted them to see the facts. Some things burnt, but so many things were saved and we’re so lucky. And we need to be there to support the people that did lose their homes,” she said.
Trainer recently shared online a painting of the fire by her four-year-old daughter, Willow.
Trainer says a “comfort centre” set up for evacuees who fled to Penticton had games, arts and toys for children to help them process what was going on and give parents a break.
She says now that people are returning home, the district has cleared ash from playgrounds, parks and beaches so that kids will have something they recognize.
